


No Man's Land

by RedTeamShark



Series: With My Little Eye [6]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alcohol, Death, Espionage, Faked Death, Gen, Good Cop Bad Cop, Gun Violence, Murder, Sleep Deprivation, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-08-10 09:50:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7840090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedTeamShark/pseuds/RedTeamShark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life is full of these little choices that lead to big consequences. Then there are the times when choice is only an illusion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Who are you?” The harsh voice in his ear, a fist clenching his hair, holding his head tilted back. All he can see is the white light above him, sending spots of red across his vision.

“Gavin F—“ He’s shoved downward before he can finish the statement, air bubbling out of his mouth into the ice cold water. Everything goes black as his eyes close, body tensing and jerking against the restraints as he struggles for air.

After an eternity of near-drowning, he’s pulled up again, gasping for air, adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “Who. Are. You?”

“I’m Gav—“ Once again, his face in the ice-cold water, bubbles of precious air against his cheeks. He inhales accidentally, filling his lungs with water, struggles growing more frantic as he’s held down for longer and longer.

When he’s pulled up again he can only gasp and struggle, face streaming with water, snot, and tears. The fist in his hair clenches tighter, the voice whispering against his ear.

“Who are you?”

“Whoever you want me to be!” He cries, desperate for the torment to stop. To his surprise, the hand in his hair loosens, his face not being forced into the water this time.

“That’s correct.”

–

He sits in the small white room, a towel draped over his bare shoulders, hair still dripping slightly. His eyes move upwards as the door opens, watching the dark-haired, muscular man walk into the room. He moves with stiff, military steps, tanned boots quiet on the white tiles as he pulls over a chair and sits down in it. Finally the dark-haired man looks him over, sighing and shaking his head.

“You’re in deep, b.”

Leaning back in his chair, Gavin can only grin. “I know what I’m doing.” His fingers fidget with the edge of the towel, giving away his slight nervousness. “Next time I won’t mess up. Promise.”

The concerned frown doesn’t leave the other man’s dark eyes, however. If anything, it grows. “That’s not what I mean, Gav. This whole thing—“

“It’s not like I can just drop it, Dan. I know what I signed up for.” His voice is harsher than he intends, the stress of the morning being lashed out at the man across from him, his only real friend in this compound. He sighs, slumping down slightly in the chair. “I’m fine, I promise. Whatever they throw at me, I can handle it, b.”

Dan sighs as well, standing again and running a hand through his short-cropped hair. “I just don’t know. Having you in this whole mess…” He groans, apparently unable to articulate his concerns.

“I’m not the little kid that you need to protect anymore, Dan.” Gavin stands as well, fists clenched at his sides. “I chose to do this. I chose to live this life, just like you did. There’s nothing that can change that, not now.” His gaze has moved down to the pristine white tile as he talks, and when he looks up again, the look in Dan’s eyes is enough to stop his fury cold.

“I don’t want to treat you like a kid…” Dan mutters now, looking towards the door. “You can handle yourself, you’re right.” He turns to leave, stopping abruptly when Gavin’s hand closes on his arm.

“That’s not what I meant…” The slim man mutters, stepping forward and pressing his forehead to Dan’s back, between his shoulder blades. “I’m just as nervous as you are, b. But I have to do this. I _have_ to.” And he does, in a way. Even if he signed up for it, even if all of this is voluntary… He still has to do it. It really is too far to back out now.

Dan turns, wrapping his arms around Gavin and pulling him into a tight, albeit brief, hug. He steps back, ruffling the smaller man’s messy hair into further disarray, before standing at attention. “Just keep your head, b.” He mutters, turning sharply and leaving the room.

Gavin sits down again, drying his hair and sighing softly. There’s nothing to do now but wait until the next time he’s called out of the room.

–

“Your thoughts, Gruchy?” The question is out of the man’s mouth before the door to the small control room has even shut. Dan’s dark eyes slide over the monitors on the wall, some showing a live feed of the small room Gavin is in, the room Dan has just left. Two chairs and a table next to a kitchenette, a cot in one corner with a trunk at the foot of it, one door leading to the outside (the door is triple-secured with an electronic locking system, steel plating running through the door itself and the frame, and steel bolts that are nearly thirty centimeters long reinforcing the hinges. It is also a bitch and a half to deal with when not working properly) and another door leading to a miniscule bathroom. The room is decorated in the ultimate utilitarian style, everything plain white tiles and industrial steel appliances and olive drab. Seeing Gavin in there is like something out of a childhood nightmare.

Still, he stands at attention for a moment, eyes sliding from the live feeds to the playbacks of the earlier tapes. There is no sound on these, for which he’s vaguely grateful. Getting the sound of Gavin’s struggles to breathe out of his head will be hard enough without the constant playback. His fists clench at his sides, remembering the feeling of holding the slim man down, one hand clenched in his hair to keep his face in the water. He’d broken after only three rounds under the water, hardly an acceptable timeframe.

And the worst part is the man in this room, the controller _knows_ that. He knows that Gavin isn’t ready and he’s just waiting for Dan to confirm it, to sign his best friend up for another round of torture and what the _fuck_ else can he do about it?

“He’s determined to see it through…” Dan begins, coming to parade rest and clasping his hands behind his back. He’d planned this speech during the all-too-short journey back to the control room from Gavin’s quarters, but now the words fly from his head. “He’s determined to… to keep with the program. Gavin is stubborn, when he wants something he’ll go for it—“ and shit his personal feelings are getting in the way of professionalism, he has to stop that “—and won’t surrender. We know that from all of his records.” Now he hardens his voice, his gaze purposely landing on the monitor with the live feed of Gavin’s room, watching his best friend drop the towel onto the back of a chair and set about preparing himself a cup of tea. “Another round of interrogation tests.”

_I’m sorry, b._ Dan thinks, almost able to hear the impatient way Gavin sighs as he waits for the kettle to boil. _I wish I’d never told you about this._

“Very well.” The controller speaks now, unfolding his hands from the table and standing. “You’ll be administering the tests, Gruchy. The line-up will be in your timetable tomorrow morning.” For a moment the controller’s gaze meets his, and Dan swears the man is able to see through his coldly professional exterior, to see the truth inside. He fights every nerve-ending in his body against fidgeting, keeping his gaze level with the other man. “Dismissed.” The command finally comes like an answered prayer and Dan snaps to attention, giving a salute and a brief nod before leaving the room.

He has the evening to prepare himself for the days ahead of him, days of torturing his best friend, days of systematically destroying everything about Gavin that he knows so well. One evening is all he’s allowed.

In the control room, the man behind the desk turns towards the monitors, watching the man there—really no more than a boy, barely out of secondary school—sit at the table and drink his tea. “Say…” He speaks only to the empty room, his gaze distant, “which one do you suppose will break first?”

–

There were no clocks in the facility, not that Gavin could see. His entire day-night cycle was determined by the control room raising and lowering the lights in his small barracks. When the lights went dim he would fall onto his cot and read until he fell asleep. When the lights brightened again he would get up, shower, dress, and make breakfast. There was no way to determine how much time passed between events, no method for knowing if he was on a proper cycle of time with the outside world.

Dan stands outside the door to the small room, mentally counting seconds. Control had put Gavin into sleep cycle nearly two hours ago, at six in the morning. He would be just entering the first phase of REM sleep according to the analysis. Double-checking that he has the items he needed, the brunette man punches his security code into the panel next to the door, bursting into the room as soon as the light indicates he can.

He yanks the burlap bag over Gavin’s head as the sandy-haired man sits up, dragging him to the ground and shoving him face-first against the tile. He plants his left knee into Gavin’s upper back, stepping on his right wrist and yanking the smaller man’s left arm behind his back and upwards. “You scream you die.” He whispers as Gavin takes a sharp inhale, feeling the slim man relax below him with a slow exhale that had been seconds away from being a scream. He gives Gavin’s arm a yank, nodding in satisfaction when the other man barely grunts despite the strain it was surely putting on his shoulder socket. Carefully removing himself from the position of pinning Gavin down, Dan uses the grip on his arm to yank the hooded man to his feet. “Walk.” He commands, shoving him forward, out the door and into the well-lit hallway.

Gavin stumbles ahead of him, down the bright corridor, turning as he is directed. The interrogation room was a short distance away, and Dan holds the smaller man—obviously still mostly asleep, not struggling to escape yet—firmly in place as he punches in his security code and waits for the door to open. He shoves Gavin inside, placing him on a chair and quickly binding his arms behind him.

“Who are you?” He demands now, falling into the familiar role of interrogator.

“Gavin Free.” The response is immediate, programmed into the bound man in the chair. Whatever panic he’d had back in the room has quickly dissipated, replaced by an almost unnatural calm. “My name is Gavin Free.”

Mentally consulting his schedule for the day, Dan sets about the room. He picks up the pistol from the table, checking it carefully, loading blanks and keeping his eyes on Gavin’s bound form. He triple-checks the safety, lifting the heavy handgun and keeping his finger outside the trigger guard as he presses it to the burlap near Gavin’s temple.

“Why are you here?”

There’s a sharp inhale of breath from Gavin, perhaps recognizing the cold metal barrel of the gun, perhaps because it’s a different question than usual. His hands work against the binds, testing and flexing, not making any earnest efforts to escape. “Training. I’m going to learn to withstand interrogation.”

“You really think you can do that?” He presses the gun more firmly to Gavin’s head, giving the chair a solid kick.

This time Gavin flinches, moving away from the weapon just slightly. “I know I can.”

“This is a loaded handgun.” Dan whispers, leaning in close, pulling the gun away from Gavin. He points it at the far wall, flicking the safety off and pulling the trigger, before putting it back to Gavin’s temple—finger once again outside the trigger guard, safety on. “There are fourteen more bullets and I won’t hesitate to put all of them into you if you don’t tell me what I want to know.”

The loud gunshot in the small room makes Gavin flinch, the tiniest of whimpers coming from his lips when the now heated barrel of the gun presses against his face through the burlap again. He doesn’t say anything, though, just continues the minute movements of his hands and arms. Dan watches him, exhaling slowly and remembering his script.

“Who are you?”

“Gavin Free.”

“Who do you work for?”

“The Crown.”

“What are your parents’ names?”

“David and Elizabeth Free.”

“Who are you?”

“Gavin Free.”

The rapid-fire questions continue, the pistol pressing closer to Gavin’s head with every hesitation. Dan watches his hands work as he talks, pulling the gun away from his face and firing another blank at the ground near Gavin’s feet when his wrists begin to turn fully.

“You’re attempting to escape?”

“Yes.”

“Even though you could be shot?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

Silence reigns over the room, before Dan begins to quietly unload and disassemble the firearm. He sets it back on the table, turning towards the door, punching in his access code and leaving. In minutes two men in plain black suits enter the room, untying Gavin and removing the burlap from his head, leading him back to his bedroom.

Dan watches on the monitors in the control room, arms resting at his sides. He’s proud of his best friend, proud in a way that makes him slightly sick. Gavin is doing well, much better than any of the controllers had expected.

Soon they’re going to go even harder on him.

–

By week’s end Gavin is exhausted, dark circles under his eyes. Even when his room went into sleep mode, he couldn’t really fall asleep. He’d been dragged from the middle of slumber multiple times over the last week or so, tossed around and abused in ways he was pretty sure were illegal, volunteer position or not. He sits at the kitchen table long after the lights had dimmed, drinking cup after cup of tea, hardly tasting the brew. He’s tense, ready to move the second his door crashes open, determined to fight this time no matter what they throw at him.

There’s a minute click as the electronic locks disengage on the door, and Gavin pushed himself to his feet, turning to face his assailant. The only weapon he has available is his mug, and he holds it at the ready, prepared to throw it or shatter it on the table and drive shards of porcelain into the man who comes in.

When Dan steps into the room with a gentle smile and a greeting, Gavin attacks anyways. He knows his mistake as soon as he sees his best friend, but it’s too late to stop. Two steps bring him close enough to the doorway, his arm swinging wide, ready to club the brunette man in the head with the heavy mug. Gavin takes it in, a spectator to his own actions, unable to stop himself in time, not even able to shout a warning.

There’s one half-second of hesitation from Dan, before his eyes narrow, his body moving of its own accord just as much as Gavin’s has. He leans back slightly, lifting a hand and catching Gavin’s swinging arm, turning it sharply. His attention stays on Gavin’s face as the mug drops from his suddenly lax fingertips, neither flinching as the porcelain shatters on the floor. Time seems to catch up with them, both breathing heavily, eyes wide. Dan slowly relaxes his grip, though he doesn’t let go of Gavin’s arm just yet.

“Are you okay, b?” He questions, their eyes locked, brown searching green for the truth. Gavin lets out a shuddery exhale, stumbling back and dropping his gaze. He nods slowly, lowering his arm to his side when it’s released.

“Things have been… rough.” He whispers, taking another half-step backwards and setting his hands on the edge of the table. The chair he had been sitting in is on the floor, kicked off to one side. He vaguely remembers doing that, but was that really even him that did it?

“Is that why you’re not sleeping?” Dan hasn’t moved from the doorway, the only motion being his hands lowering to his sides. He keeps his eyes on Gavin, imploring honesty from him.

“I… Dan, they keep coming for me when I sleep. Grabbing me and… and I _know_ I signed up for it, _I know_ I said I could handle it, but this… this is just so _intense_.” And just like that the weight of everything that just happened, the reality of what he almost did to his best friend, crashes down on him. Gavin falls to his knees under it, planting his hands on the floor and staring between them. “I could have killed you!” He cries out, shoulders shaking with repressed emotion. “I thought you were one of them and I was ready to kill you!”

The swift sound of heavy boots on tile, and Gavin squeezes his eyes shut as Dan steps next to him. The gentle hand on his shoulder is like a slap to the face. He’s being weak again, needing protecting from his bigger, stronger best friend. Dan’s the one who got him this opportunity, told him about the program when Gavin complained about being useless and having no direction in his life. He can’t be this weak, this pathetic, in front of Dan.

“I’m sorry…” The sandy-haired man mutters now, looking up into his best friend’s face, so full of understanding. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

For a moment it looks like the entire week is about to spill over, spill out of him in an outburst. Dan smiles, though, takes Gavin’s hand and hauls the scrawny man to his feet. “Don’t sweat it. Come on, let’s take a walk.”

And somehow the casual way Dan offers it causes everything to click into place, perspective to shift and Gavin follows him out of the room, one of the very few times he’s left the barracks without being assaulted first. They walk, a large man in military fatigues next to a scrawny guy with jeans and no shoes on, down night-quiet hallways, past closed doors. It’s quiet between them, the companionable quiet that Gavin remembers from walking home from school together.

A metal door with a keypad to one side stops their progress, and Dan offers a smile. “One second, just wait here.” He explains, stepping over to the keypad and punching in a series of numbers. “Gruchy and 49374F to exit,” Dan speaks to the keypad, nodding and stepping back to Gavin after a moment. “Protocols…” He mutters with an eyeroll.

“49374F?” Gavin questions as the doors open. He steps through with Dan, a slight frown on his face. That number was weirdly familiar for some reason.

“Designation number. You were assigned it when you were accepted, Gav. It’s on all your paperwork.” Dan offers a hesitant smile. “It’s easier than names for records, is all.”

The pair step up to a security checkpoint, Dan conversing briefly with a man carrying a rifle, before nodding to Gavin. He steps to the side, watching the sandy-haired man be patted down, trying not to wince at the rough treatment. Gavin is a volunteer, not some sort of prisoner, but that makes no difference to the guards. They nod him through a metal detector, an armed man standing beside him as Dan is giving a similar pat-down and scan. He steps up to a computer terminal afterwards, Gavin once again at his side. Typing quickly, the brunette nods. “Alright, we’re signed out. Come on.” He gestures Gavin to follow him, leading him into fresh air for the first time in weeks.

It’s late at night, of course, quiet around them. Armed guards patrol the grounds, but no one stops them, no one seems to be following them. Gavin breathes deep, smelling fresh air, his head tilting back to look at the stars. Dan watches him, seeing the boy he grew up with again for the first time in far too long. It makes him grin, catching Gavin’s return smile and nodding.

“Let’s take a walk.” He offers, hands casually in his pockets, beginning to stroll along a cement path. Gavin walks beside him, still breathing in the night. Once they’re away from the building, Dan begins to speak, his voice low and fast.

“I’m worried for you, Gav, I really am. The things that are happening in there, b… you almost attacked me. What are they doing to you?” And he hates himself, hates hates _hates_ himself for using his best friend this way, for toying with him, but what choice does he have, what choice do any of them have?

“It’s nothing I can’t handle…” Gavin mutters, slowly growing subdued from his earlier joy. Another twinge of self-loathing rushes through Dan, that he’d take this small bit of happiness away from the thin man beside him. He stops next to a fountain, leaning on the high cement lip and watching the water in the moonlight.

“It’s not like basic training, is it? They’re… they treat you like a criminal… you’ve got bruises.” He reaches over, setting a hand on Gavin’s arm and sighing. “I’m sorry…”

Gavin flinches, shrugging him off. “Like I said, I can handle it. I’m getting better at it. I didn’t break once today.”

And it’s true, he is getting better at it, Dan has witnessed the progress first hand. Just as he’s witnessed the way Gavin flinches away from physical contact. This program is destroying him, and he can’t even recognize that.

“Gavin, I…” He doesn’t know what he wants to say, doesn’t think he can even articulate what needs to be said. It’s not in the script, this part of the conversation is completely off-the-wall and if he gets found out _he’ll_ be the one locked in a small room, only being taken out to be abused.

Green eyes turn to him, a wide smile causing the corners to crinkle. “Don’t worry about it, b.” Gavin assures him. “The next time someone fucks with me, I’m going to put my fist in his throat.”

It’s the first time he’s ever heard Gavin say ‘fuck’ without immediately looking around afterwards (probably expecting his mother to appear out of thin air and reprimand him for the language). What makes his eyes widen, however, is the sheer joy that the threat is delivered with.

Dan swallows, nodding just slightly. “Let’s go back in, okay?” He offers, relief washing through him when Gavin accepts.

He needs to tell the controller what’s going on.


	2. Chapter 2

Gavin learns how to shoot to kill, how to hurt until a person breaks, and how to react to any situation in a way that only benefits him.

Dan learns not to touch Gavin anymore, not to startle him, not to show the hurt that crosses his heart when his best friend only regards him with suspicion.

They both spend too much time alone, too much time inside their own heads. They both bottle up everything that isn’t directly following orders. Gavin lets out his frustrations during training, turning everything that worries him outward, expressing it with his knife or his fists. Dan swallows his anxiety with alcohol and tries not to think about what that might mean.

At the gun range Dan steps up behind Gavin, touching his hip to correct his posture slightly and the next thing the brunette knows he’s on the ground, pinned below a wiry frame with the hot metal of a recently-fired gun jammed into the base of his skull. He freezes for a second, carefully opening his hands to show he means no harm. Around them is confused yelling, a distant sound that doesn’t mean anything in the small bubble of life and death he and Gavin are wrapped up in.

“Stand down.” Dan commands, voice quiet but firm. “Disarm yourself and stand down, soldier. That is a direct order.”

The gun leaves the back of his neck, the slight weight of Gavin lifting off his back seconds later. There’s a shout from the sandy-haired man and by the time Dan regains his feet, Gavin is being held in place by two large, muscular soldiers, his handgun being disassembled by a third. There are tears on his cheeks and Dan catches a glimpse of fear in his green eyes before Gavin drops his head.

“Sir?” One of the men holding him asks. Dan starts, shaking his head.

“Let him go. It was a lapse on my part. Return to your room, Free.” He’s not talking to his best friend anymore, might never be talking to him again. He needs to remember that this is 49374F and not Gavin. It hasn’t been Gavin for a long time, maybe not since that night they took a walk around the compound.

Dan checks his gun back in to the system once Gavin leaves. He checks himself out of the compound, going to the nearest pub and drinking until he forgets his own name.

–

Gavin lies down in his bed when the lights go dim, closing his eyes automatically. He doesn’t fall asleep right away, still too tense from the day for that, but his breathing evens out and he grows still. From all outside perspectives it seems that he’s already sleeping peacefully.

He’s awake to hear the click of the automatic lock on his door, awake to hear footsteps enter his room and pace over to his bed. He still doesn’t move from his pseudo-sleep, though he’s ready to counter-attack if he’s assaulted. They haven’t done that since he punched an assailant in the throat and knocked the man unconscious, but that doesn’t mean things can’t change. He knows things can change, he’s living proof of that.

“Free.” The voice whispers and his eyes are open immediately, he’s sitting up, looking towards the source of the command.

“Hello, Gavin.” And it’s Dan, Dan standing over him with a handgun and a regretful smile. Gavin doesn’t smile back, darting his eyes to the gun briefly before looking at his friend again. He sits in bed, awaiting orders. His mind rushes back to the gun range earlier that day, wondering if this is some sort of punishment for his actions. On the one hand he can’t imagine Dan doing that to him; on the other, he can’t bring himself to trust anyone anymore.

Then Dan’s grip on the gun changes, holding the barrel and offering it to him. He takes it, checking the weapon automatically to ensure the safety is on, pointing the barrel towards the ceiling and looking to his best friend. “Come on.” Dan says softly, turning and walking for the open door. Gavin stands, following behind him, bare feet silent on the white tiles.

They walk down the brightly lit corridor, past closed doors and sleepy-eyed guards with automatic weapons. Dan punches a code into a door and they step inside, the room a sharp contrast from the hall, almost completely dark save a single hanging bulb. The shaded light looms over a man bound to a chair, a rag stuffed in his mouth. Gavin notes that this man looks somewhat similar to him, sandy hair and a slim build. He looks to Dan, waiting for orders.

“Gavin Free is going to die tonight, 49374F. Put your gun to his head and pull the trigger.” Dan nods to the man bound to the chair, both of them watching as his eyes widen and his struggles renew.

Gavin swallows, stepping forward and lifting the handgun, the weapon suddenly heavy in his grip. This isn’t like target practice, this isn’t shooting paper or dummies or pig carcasses. This is a real, live human being with hopes and dreams and thoughts and probably a family and there are tears on his cheeks, panic in his eyes, garbled pleas coming from behind the gag. Gavin stands with his gun against the guy’s head, understanding all of this on an emotional level, grappling with the idea of killing a person who is utterly defenseless and at his mercy. On a more clinical level he also understands that this is a test, maybe the final test, that this was going to be the end result no matter what. Gavin Free is going to die tonight no matter what he does, but if he doesn’t pull the trigger then—

His finger squeezes the trigger, cutting off thought and emotion all at once, a single loud report in the room overriding everything else. The man’s head jerks to the side, blood spraying out to paint the wall. Gavin lowers the gun away from the corpse, his eyes on Dan as he flicks the safety back on. He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t change his face from the careful blank he’s carved it into. Doesn’t let his heart speed up by much at the look in Dan’s eyes, the mix somewhere between hopelessness and shame. Dan should be proud of him, should be happy that he’s doing so well. Dan is the one that helped him get into this program and he’s doing his absolute best at it for his best friend so why does Dan look so ashamed by his actions?

“Objective complete, sir.” He says softly, awaiting his next order.

Dan swallows, licking his lips before nodding shortly. “Well done, soldier. Give me the gun.” Gavin hands it over without a second thought, watching as Dan ejects the magazine. They leave the room together, Dan turning the broken down handgun over to another man. When he turns back to Gavin he’s as emotionless as ever. “We’ll be taking a walk outside.”

They check out through the security point, stepping into the cool night air. Gavin shivers slightly, following Dan down the path. The fountain they spoke at before has been drained for the winter, but the brunette stops in front of it anyways, turning to his sandy-haired friend. “Do you have any questions?”

“How did I die?” He asks automatically, keeping his gaze even with Dan’s brown eyes. He’s waiting for any sort of signal from the other man, any sort of tell in his eyes.

“Training accident. Tragic, to be sure. Your family will receive a large compensation for the loss. You’re never going to be able to see them again.” Dan nods, his gaze staying level with Gavin’s, no emotions there yet.

“My identity?”

“It’s settled. You’ll hear more about that at a later date. You do get to keep your name, though.”

“Who did I just kill?”

And there’s the tell, there’s the way Dan’s eyes dart to the side momentarily, the rest of his face stone but his gaze giving it away, screaming all of his worries out in half a second of almost involuntary muscle movement. “An enemy of the crown.”

“Are we being monitored right now?” Gavin asks, tone not changing, his gaze still steady. Again, Dan’s eyes give him away, darting over Gavin’s shoulder.

“Negative.” Which means they are, but he needs to act like they’re not. Gavin lets his shoulders slump slightly, finally dropping his gaze.

“I killed someone.” He mumbles, rubbing the hand that held the gun. “I really killed someone.” He exhales, composing himself and looking up again. “Does it ever get any easier?”

Dan looks past him, chewing his lip for a moment before shrugging. “I don’t know. It’s cold and it’s late. Time to go back inside.”

He lets his hand brush Dan’s as the other man walks past him, exchanging a brief look. The second of eye contact conveys the entire spectrum of their conversation before it’s broken, Gavin following him inside and back to his room.

_I’m sorry, Dan._

_Not your fault, b._

And:

_I’m sorry, Gav._

_Not your fault, b._

–

Gavin learns control. He learns to fake emotions, to react correctly to any situation. He learns how to make people trust him, how to use their trust, how to manipulate the emotions of others to reach his own ends.

Dan learns control. He learns code words and phrases designed to shut down all of Gavin’s mental capacities. He learns how to turn the Brit from a living, breathing weapon into a compliant shell of a person, standing still and awaiting orders.

Together they learn communication, phrases that trigger specific responses. They grow as a weapon and a handler, their past as friends making it easier in many ways and so much harder in others. Dan tries not to look at the way Gavin’s eyes go blank, at the way the slim man has no problem pulling a gun on a designated target. Gavin tries not to see the disappointment in Dan’s eyes whenever he does something brutally well—it’s too conflicting, goes against everything he’s being told is right.

Their first real assignment together goes perfectly on a tactical level, but it’s an emotional clusterfuck.

Gavin’s first priority is espionage training, the controllers working to thrust him into the forefront of the field. Already there are whispers in the underground of a British lad that can get any information you want or need, for the right price. There’s a group dedicated to headhunting him to recruit him and a larger group dedicated to literally headhunting him, wanting the competition dead. He’s surprisingly adept with it, easily picking up stealth and learning his way around the equipment. He disables the cameras in his room without being caught four times before someone wises up and gives him a stern talking-to about it (Dan realizes what’s happening the very first time it happens, but doesn’t comment because the act is so _Gavin_ that he can’t bear to be the one that shuts it down). He’s able to think on his feet, adjust his objectives as hindrances appear before him, keep a cool head no matter what.

Dan sits in the control room, headset in his ear, a nervous wreck as he tracks Gavin’s progress through the facility on the monitor. They’re wired in to the security feed but his friend is all but invisible to the cameras, only able to be tracked via the device secured to his clothing. He shows up as a blue dot on a map of the building, moving along hidden routes. His small size means he can squeeze into ceiling ducts that should be too small for any person, a huge advantage for them.

The camera feed picks it up when Gavin drops into the terminal room and Dan’s hands flash across the keyboard, resetting the feed to a loop of the empty room, the replaying footage just long enough to be annoying to stare at for inconsistencies. No alerts go off within the building and he relaxes, switching his attention to the display to his left. Gavin has wired the computer to their systems and is transferring data.

“No alerts, but watch your six. I don’t have eyes on you in that room.” Dan says quietly.

“Copy that.” Gavin returns automatically, continuing to feed data into the control computer. The instant transfer is a risk, normally they’d be storing the information on Gavin’s PDA to bring in and review later. But control wants them to take risks—correction, control wants _Gavin_ to take risks, to really push himself to the limit. And Gavin will. Gavin has changed since the early days of interrogation, since the panic attacks and tears. His resolve is just as firm as it always was, directed towards becoming the best agent 5MG has ever produced.

“Transfer complete.” The words sound in Dan’s ear now and he nods.

“Copy that, get yourself out of there. North exit is clear.”

Gavin’s blue blip moves through the building as Dan resets the camera to the live feed. He sees the blip come to a halt out of the corner of his eye and immediately sits up, one hand going to his headset.

“Free, what’s the hold-up?”

There’s no response from Gavin, but two red blips suddenly appear on the radar, to either side of the north exit. Dan curses to himself, wondering where those two came from, why he didn’t see them before. He’s supposed to be Gavin’s eyes, he’s supposed to be better than this.

His fingers run over the keyboard, switching camera angles until he finds the one he needs. He can’t switch the feed to a static, that’d be too obvious with people there and he doesn’t have any footage recorded anyways. There’s really no choice.

“Command?” Gavin’s voice comes in his ear, soft but with no hesitation.

“Take them out.” Dan orders, withholding his sigh. He watches the security feed as one man falls, clutching at his throat. The other turns towards his downed comrade and Gavin drops behind him, foot connecting solidly with the back of the man’s knee. He goes to the ground, his head being grasped by the Brit as he drops, neck twisted suddenly. The man falls limp next to his friend—already bled out—and Gavin steps out the door. The alert goes off in the facility then, apparently someone was watching the monitors, but Dan’s heart is already slowing down from the trip hammer in his chest because Gavin is outside and soon he’ll be at the pick-up point, safe and away from the situation.

Dan fights the strong urge to hug his friend when they’re reunited at base, instead giving him a short nod. “Well done, Free.”

Gavin nods back, his eyes gleaming with what Dan can only hope is a smile. “Textbook.” He answers, stripping down his gear and turning it in to the soldier beside him. “Shall I return to my room?”

“Yeah…” Dan lets himself smile, watching as Gavin walks away. “Get some rest, tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.”


	3. Chapter 3

“You know your assignment, then, Free?” Dan asks, looking over to the man sitting next to him on the plane.

“Yep. Still know it. And in ten minutes when you ask me again, I’m still gonna know it.” Gavin grins, wiggling slightly in his seat.

“Alright, alright.” Shaking his head, Dan gives his friend a slight shove. “I’m just making sure. We’re supposed to go over this stuff.”

“It’s easy as cake. We call them for a mission, set up a trap. I show up and assist. They trust me immediately. Nothing’s gonna go wrong.” Leaning back, Gavin stretches his arms over his head. “Now shuddup, I’ve never been to the States before and I wanna watch the flight.”

“Gav, its nine hours of nothing. You’re not going to watch the entire thing.”

Gavin turns, grinning widely. “Just watch me.” His attention darts back to the window, an almost unnatural stillness filling him as he stares at the ocean passing far below. Dan sighs, opening his laptop and going over the details again. It doesn’t pay to get sloppy.

The files indicate that 6 is currently composed of two members, one a computer expert possibly named Ray Narvaez who had escaped from a bloodbath in a Puerto Rican prison and found his way to New York. The other, thought to be Ryan Haywood, was a bit more difficult to back trace, but 5MG had come up with some interesting theories. Thought to be born in rural Georgia, it was generally agreed that he’d learned his many deadly skills on his own. As far as the records could tell, the pair lacked security countermeasures skills, relying on Ray’s speed with computers and Ryan’s brutal efficiency with killing to get the job done. 6 was one of the most sought-after groups of corporate espionage, but had recently been treading into government contracts as well.

Aside from a few blurry security camera pictures and a black and white mug shot of a kid who looked no older than 16, no one was quite sure what either member looked like. Even their contracts only dealt with them digitally. Gavin will be going in blind, but that is what he’s been trained for.

Dan leans back, closing his eyes for a moment and sighing softly. Gavin’s been trained to become 6’s security countermeasures person, to assist them in watching their backs, avoiding being seen by anyone or anything in the building. He’s also in charge of diversions, in charge of making the ruckus that draws the enemy to his position and allows the other two to escape.

It leaves him vulnerable, and that vulnerability makes Dan a nervous wreck.

“You remember all your code ins, right?” He asks suddenly, sitting up and opening his eyes. “And the scenarios that we planned and—“

Gavin leans over, pressing a finger to his lips and smiling. “Don’t be nervous, Dan. I’m going to be fine.” He whispers, turning back to the window and wiggling in his seat again. “I’m excited. This is going to be top.”

‘Top,’ Dan thinks, might be a bit of an overestimation. He’ll settle for Gavin surviving.

–

At the small hotel room, Gavin suits up while Dan sits on the edge of the bed and tries not to fidget. Running scenarios with the other man isn’t nerve-wracking anymore, even running actual operations with him is fine because Dan is there, Dan can look after him from the control room. This, however, sending Gavin in blind and alone without so much as being able to look over his shoulder, is terrifying.

“You know what I keep thinking about?” He asks as Gavin straps a knife to his ankle, securing the blade over his boot and lowering his pantleg.

“What’s that?” Gavin stands up straight, wiggling his foot and nodding to himself.

“Your mum. When you first signed up for all this, she rang me and asked if I talked you into it. And she said that I better look after you while you were here.”

Gavin pauses in the act of loading his handgun, looking at Dan’s reflection in the mirror. His green eyes are unreadable for a moment, completely blank. Then he shrugs. “Gavin Free is dead.” He states, jamming the magazine into the butt of the gun and holstering it at his hip. “I’m just a ghost who took his name.”

Dan’s the one who looks away first.

–

He taps into the security feed first, watching on his wrist-mounted map as security cameras pick up the pair moving through the building. Gavin eyes them, assesses them, then smiles widely. This is 6 and they’re exactly what he’s been hoping they’ll be.

Next he cracks his way into their personal communicators with a little remote assistance from Dan, tuning his earpiece to their frequency, making sure his mic is muted for the time being. He’ll listen and only speak up when the timing is right. For now he’s more of a ghost than the other two men in the building, watching their progress via security cameras, listening to them via his earpiece.

“It’s way too quiet around here.” One says—if the way the slimmer, shorter one looks around is an indication, it was probably him that spoke.

“So it’s an easy job. That’s a good thing.” The other answers, stopping at a doorway and carefully leaning around to look inside. “We could use some easy cash.”

“A place like this should have security personnel, though. It’s… unsettling.” Definitely the smaller one talking, then, his steps lagging behind slightly. Gavin admires his attentiveness. If he’s right, the smaller is Ray, the one from Puerto Rico. If the rumors about the prison bloodbath are true, it’s no wonder things going too smoothly puts him on edge. Gavin can use that.

He follows along from his hidden vantage point as they reach the computer terminal, the screen lighting up seconds before the cameras in that room turn to static. That was Dan’s doing, remotely giving both the security personnel and Gavin the signal. Suddenly the hallways on his security feed are all action, lights and rushing bodies. Gavin grins, clicking on his mic finally, speaking low and fast.

“You’ve triggered a security protocol.”

He hears confusion in his ear, demands of who he is and how he got on their frequency. He ignores it, however, waiting until there’s a moment of silence before continuing to speak.

“The security personnel are on their way to you. I’ve got them on camera right now and they’re heavily armed. 10 o’clock from the door there’s an air vent. You’ll want to get in it.” He grins as he watches the two on his screen, communicating through hand signals. After a moment the pair boost into the air vent, their voices coming back on his radio.

“So, just who the hell are you?”

“For now I’m someone helping you.” Gavin leans back, eyes still on his wristmap. “Ray, stay there and get back on the terminal when the room is clear. I’ll keep an eye on you. Ryan, you’re going to need to run a diversion. Take the duct to the left—it might be a tight squeeze.”

“How the fuck do you know our names?” One of them demands and Gavin chuckles.

“Irrelevant information. If you want to finish your job without any bullet holes in you, you’ll do as I say.”

There’s radio silence for a long while, before a voice comes back. “Tunnel to the left, you said?”

“Confirmed, tunnel to the left. Also, if you could open yourself to the map quickly, I’ll be able to get a ping on you and guide you more easily.”

“I think I’ll pass on that.” The voice that comes back is sharp, annoyed. Gavin suppresses another chuckle.

“Your decision, mate.” He settles back into his hidden corner, feeding instructions into the mobile man. The security personnel leave the terminal room and Gavin clears Ray to re-enter, just as Ryan reaches his destination.

“Alright, you’ll want to create a diversion… What’s your current grenade situation?”

“Two flash-bangs and a smoke grenade. I’m not setting those off in here, though, it’s a small space.” The hissed voice comes back to him. Gavin shakes his head, rolling his eyes.

“You have a gas mask, yes?”

“Yeah, but I’m not—“

“You are if you want your partner to make it out of this. They’ll be patrolling that room… unless there’s something to distract them.”

“You’re a real bastard, you know that?”

“Nah, my parents are quite happily married.” Gavin snickers, watching the security feed for a moment. “There’s a camera left of your position. Drop a flash-bang in front of it and then strafe the room to the left. There’s a balcony over the door. I’ll cover your six, you stay there and make sure they keep coming to visit.”

“This guy is fucking crazy…” Ray’s voice comes over the mic, low and not entirely unimpressed. “Transfer at 50, Ryan. I can probably wrap up before they come back if you don’t want to do this.”

“Ignore me and you’re going to be leaving here in a body bag.” Gavin cuts in, watching the wristmap intently.

“Is that a threat?” Ryan hisses out, making Gavin laugh again.

“No, that’s a statement of fact. Diversion in ten seconds or it’s too late.” He begins counting down, grinning widely when the camera feed changes to nothing but a flash of white. “That’s a good lad. Get to the balcony and have a little faith.”

Gavin watches on the security camera as the room is rushed into, as the men inside are gunned down. The sound of a silenced pistol firing accompanies each man falling on the screen, the noise soon being drowned out by louder gunfire from the automatic weapons the security personnel are carrying. By the time Ray announces that the data collection is complete, the room has become a bloodbath.

“Exit point is the roof. You’ve been good lads, so I’ve got a reward for you. Ray, ventilation tunnels to the right, ladder access for the rooftop about thirty feet along. Ryan, you can take the stairs.”

“A reward, huh?” Ray’s voice comes back, accompanied by a soft grunt of exertion as he lifts himself into the air vent. “This oughta be fucking stellar.”

“Oh, I think you’ll like it.”

They’re on the roof when he steps out of the shadows, of course, looking around nervously, guns in hand. Gavin walks up slowly, his hands at his sides, palms open. “Hello, lads.” He speaks into the mic, his voice carrying just far enough to let them know that it’s him approaching. He doesn’t flinch when two guns aim at him, coming to a stop and putting his hands up slightly.

“Who the fuck are you?” Ryan growls out, taking a slight step in front of Ray.

“Well, since you were so cooperative this evening… My name is Gavin Free.” He sees their eyes widen, sees the recognition flash across their faces, and nods. “Yes, that Gavin Free. And you two are 6, the best of the best on this side of the Atlantic.” Gavin narrows his eyes slightly, looking between them. “But you could be better.”

The two men across from him exchange a glance, a half-second of eye contact as they struggle to make a decision. “Don’t move.” Ryan commands, nodding slightly to Ray. The smaller man holsters his handgun, stepping over and beginning to pat Gavin down. He doesn’t move, tsking just slightly as his weapons are taken from him.

“And this is why you need me, gentlemen. Ray, you’ve neglected to take the knife from my left ankle and you’ve also left my wristmap on my arm.” He smiles widely as the other man snatches the items from him, nodding once he’s stepped away. “The knife isn’t as much of a concern; Ryan would shoot me long before I could grab it if I went for it. The wristmap, however… a wiggle of the fingers and I could do all sorts of things. Summon back-up, set off explosives that I may or may not have planted in the building… Well, you’re the computer expert, you tell me what else it’s programmed for.” He waits as Ray looks it over, staring unflinchingly down the barrel of Ryan’s gun. “I’m not here to hurt the two of you, that should be obvious. I’m here because I’m the best at what I do in Europe and you’re the best at what you do in America. Why make it a competition when we can make it a team effort?”

“No.” Ryan answers shortly, keeping his gun trained on Gavin. “We don’t work with anyone else. Now don’t move from that spot or I’ll put a bullet in your brain.” He and Ray walk away, watching Gavin suspiciously until they’re clear of the building.

“My number’s in the wristmap, call me if you need me!” Gavin calls after them as they leave, waiting until they’re clear to pull his secondary radio from the hidden pocket. He radios Dan for pick-up, grinning widely. “Things went exactly according to plan, of course.”

–

Two days later, his phone rings with an unknown number.

“Right on schedule.” Gavin notes with a grin, answering before the second ring completes. “Hello?”

“Is this who I think it is?” A familiar voice asks over the line and Gavin grins wider.

He forces surprise into his voice, however, giving a little gasp. “Ray! So good to hear from you! How are—“

“Cut the shit, man. I’m only calling because there’s something I need from you. Uh, I mean, if you’re up for it.” The way he’s so awkward on the phone is simply adorable, Gavin decides. It’s also very easy to use.

“What’s troubling you, Ray?” He lowers his voice slightly, conspiratorially. “Regrets?”

“Fuck me, Ryan’s gonna be pissed about this… Look, is there somewhere we can meet? Somewhere private?”

Gavin’s grin widens until he feels like his face might crack in half as he nods. “Of course.” He rattles off an address and a time, forcing concern into his voice. “What’s this regarding? You’re not going to rob me at gunpoint again, are you?”

And then Ray says the three words that Gavin has known were coming since the moment his phone rang. “Ryan’s been captured.”

–

Gavin meets up with Ray at the designated location, shrugging at the other man’s raised eyebrow. “I just got to this continent, this is one of the only places I’m really familiar with.” He explains, offering his hand and shaking Ray’s quickly. Dan is inside the coffee shop, appearing to be doing a research project and listening to music on his laptop. In truth he’s recording and transcribing their conversation for later analysis, ready to make any fine adjustments to the script that might come up from the meeting.

The two order coffees, taking a seat at one of the outside tables, just out of the glow of a streetlight. “So,” Gavin begins, sipping his coffee and jiggling his leg slightly, “tell me what happened.”

He listens as Ray explains things that he already knows, about a new contract, a new location, the way things had gone wrong so abruptly. The armed men that had taken Ryan away at gunpoint, Ray just barely escaping detection. “We never knew they were coming…” Ray mumbles into his drink, looking down at his hands. “Everything looked clear until suddenly they were bursting into the room and Ryan couldn’t gun them all down. He told me to run and said he’d be right behind me and the next thing I see someone hit him in the back of the neck with the butt of their rifle and…” The hacker shakes his head, sighing and leaning back. “Look, you don’t have to help us if you don’t want to, but… I mean, I’ve looked into you before. Gavin Free is the best in the business, number one name in Europe. 6 has never had an interest in you, but… if you wanted to team up… or even just help me get Ryan back, I… I’d be grateful.”

Reaching across the small table, Gavin sets his hand over Ray’s, offering a smile. “I’m glad to help. We can get Ryan back for you and decide from there what our alliance is.” He squeezes the other man’s hand lightly, smiling just a little. “If nothing else, I wouldn’t mind going for coffee with you again and not talking business.”

He can see inside the building over Ray’s shoulder, can see the way Dan looks up with a raised eyebrow at the comment, but it has the desired effect on the Puerto Rican. The other man blushes, running his thumb over Gavin’s hand lightly. “Would need to run that one by Ryan, too.” He mumbles, pulling away and finishing his drink with a slurp. “I don’t even know where they’ve taken him, though, or who got him. I didn’t get a good look at anything.”

Gavin draws his hands back, leaning back to crack his spine. “So we’ll figure it out. We’ll get him back, Ray, I promise.”

–

“Trust is a weird thing.” Dan says softly as he watches Gavin gear up again. He leans back on his hands, letting his eyes roam over the small hotel room. “You trust me, right, b?”

“Yeah. More’n anyone.” Gavin offers a grin in the mirror, locking the magazine into the butt of his pistol. “You’ve always got my back, Dan. Even when it’s dangerous for you to be there.” He turns, one eyebrow raised. “Why?”

“Dunno. It just seems weird to me that Ray trusted you so easily. Everything we have on him and Ryan says that it shouldn’t be this easy.”

“You think it’s a trap?” Gavin pulls his night-vision set up on over his head, securing it in place and tucking his hair under the tight cap. “Think they’re gonna turn on me as soon as Ryan’s safe?”

Dan shakes his head. “Nah. Everything about Ray says that he trusts you. Mostly out of desperation, I’m sure, but I think he’ll play into it just fine. All according to the script tonight.”

“I’m looking forward to this, b. Haven’t gotten to have fun like this in way too long.” With a grin, Gavin tips a salute, heading for the door. “I’ll call in as soon as I’m able.”

“Stay safe, Gav.” Dan watches him leave, falling back onto the hotel bed and closing his eyes. Looking at Gavin now, he can barely see a trace of the friend he grew up with and that worries him more than it should. Gavin does trust him, true, but Dan suspects that it’s not because of their old friendship anymore. He’s starting to suspect that Gavin only trusts him because he hasn’t been given a reason not to.

Idly, Dan wonders if it’s the same reason Ray seems to trust Gavin, or if there’s something that he’s missing in the equation.

–

“Alright, I’m in.” Ray whispers, Gavin’s wristmap lighting up with the building’s security cameras. He nods, tapping a few buttons and carefully looking over the rooms. He scans the information at the side, nodding slightly.

“Area Bravo 12, holding cell Foxtrot 7. Area Alpha 2, holding cell Charlie 31. Area Bravo 4, holding cell Zulu 10.” He reads off, frowning slightly and skimming through the information. “Looks like Alpha might be our best bet, that’s high security.” Gavin nods, looking over to Ray. “Ready to move out?”

Holding onto his pistol, Ray nods back. “Let’s go get Ryan.”

They sneak along corridors, Gavin gesturing their route, being careful of the security cameras and guards. Until they reach Ryan’s holding cell they’ll need to be completely invisible, otherwise the facility could go on high alert and lock everything down. They make it to the Alpha sector in a matter of minutes, stopping in a small room—really no more than a broom closet—to go over the rest of the plan.

“We’ll need to disable the security cameras first.” Gavin mutters, flipping through the channels. “Too many to sneak past. Can you set up a loop on them that control won’t notice?” Ray nods, tapping away at his wrist computer to start recording the loop. “Make it just long enough that it’s a pain to look at. If there’s any patrols, get two or three cycles of them. Try to get any people off-camera when you switch over and—“

“I’ve done this before, you know.” Ray mutters, looking up. “It’s set, just tell me when to activate it.”

“Right, sorry.” Gavin offers a smile, closing his wristmap and pulling out his gun. “Set it on the next cycle. We don’t have to be invisible this time, but… well, leave the killing to me.”

The shorter man only nods, tapping a few buttons on his screen before closing it. He gives the signal, the pair stepping out of the closet and making their way down the hallways.

The guards are easy to dodge around, no one noticing as they approach what should be Ryan’s holding cell. Ray pulls his gun out, watching Gavin’s back as the Brit quickly picks the lock on the cell and opens it, taking his turn at cover as Ray steps inside. A moment later the Puerto Rican comes out, one of Ryan’s arms over his shoulders. He nods to Gavin, the trio beginning to make their way back down the hall to the supply closet. Though Gavin can feel Ryan’s eyes on him, he doesn’t say anything yet.

Bootsteps at an intersection inform them of approaching guards, Gavin holding up a hand for the other two to lag behind, easing himself up to the corner. He steps around suddenly, two muted shots from his pistol sounding, resulting in a single muffled scream and two _thuds_ of bodies hitting the floor. He waves them around, the three slipping out of Alpha sector undetected.

They don’t encounter any other problems as they leave the compound, travelling a short distance away before Ryan calls for them to stop. His eyes are on Gavin, distrustful. Ray, however, speaks up before he can say anything. “I didn’t know where else to turn, Ryan. He offered to help us and you were captured and—“

A hand on his shoulder cuts him off, the younger man looking at the ground and rubbing his arm lightly. Ryan continues to regard Gavin with those intense blue eyes of his, before he nods. “Thank you.”

“Any time, mate.” Gavin smiles, tipping a two-finger salute. “We work well together, though, so don’t be strangers. You two need someone like me watching your back so you don’t get caught again, huh?” He turns, hands in his pockets, strolling casually away. The two members of 6 don’t call after him, don’t try to stop him, and that doesn’t surprise him.

It also doesn’t surprise him when Ray calls him two days later to invite him out for coffee. His surprise when Ryan is also there is completely feigned.

6 trusts him, he knows, because he’s given them no reason not to. He works his way carefully into their lives, until it’s as if they’ve always been a trio, until they couldn’t imagine being without him. And though he doesn’t like to think of it, Gavin finds himself having a harder time imagining being without them, as well.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Interrogation Techniques](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7987633) takes place before this chapter.

Gavin slows his breathing, tuning out his internal world and the constant sounds of the world around him, listening only for change. He’s the only one to hear the muted beeping, the only one to spot the nearly invisible red line across the floor that indicated the electronic tripwire. He lags back a few paces under the pretense of checking his weapon, turning slightly away. When the first man crosses the threshold of the room, the beeping speeds up. When the second man steps through the doorway, the charges placed around the room go off.

He hunches his shoulders, lifting his arms to shield himself from the worst of the blast as the explosion rockets through the small space. Men around him barely have a second to scream before shrapnel hits them, Gavin not wasting his breath, instead diving into the nearby doorway and avoiding the worst of the carnage. The commander shouts frantically in his earpiece, demanding an explanation and Gavin frowns, shutting the piece off. A moment later, Dan’s voice sounds in his ear.

“You’re off protocol, Free.”

“He’s a twit and I’m wasting my time with this. Ramsey isn’t going to help these incompetents.” He retorts, grumbling and looking at the devastation down the hallway. Six men are dead, most of them shredded nearly beyond recognition.

“Your orders stand. Turn your communicator back on and report.” Dan’s voice is that of a true commander, someone who understands what it is to take charge. Gavin flicks his headset back on automatically, forcing panic into his voice as he reports.

As he suspected, though, Ramsey doesn’t accept the job to help the squad. After a few days, Dan finds him a new assignment.

–

It takes three transfers before Gavin finds a position with a company that he believes Ramsey will be interested in. He can tell that Dan is just as frustrated with their lack of progress, the job that was only supposed to take two weeks taking upwards of three months to complete. He regularly gets in touch with 6 to assure them that he hasn’t abandoned them, glad that his ‘loose ends’ story is enough to keep them unsuspecting of his time in Europe. He fills contracts that he knows they’ll hear about when not working for mercenary organizations, just to keep up appearances.

When Ramsey comes to London to assist with a data protection case, he brings news that surprises both Gavin and Dan—and they thought they knew everything about the Hunters. It seems the Jack Pattillo, the resident computer expert and second-in-command, has come across a mysterious new member of the team. Dan scrambles to find background information based on what little Gavin gleans from conversations with Ramsey, coming up with surprisingly insufficient material on Michael Jones. Gavin decides to play it by ear.

They know plenty about Geoff Ramsey and Jack Pattillo, both men having fairly public lives outside of their activity in the protection business. Ramsey owns a variety of properties around the country and Pattillo has founded a variety of internet properties. It’s obvious that both men could live comfortably off the money they make from their individual ventures; they’re in the protection game for fun, which makes them dangerous.

Gavin only needs to have one conversation with Ramsey to understand just how true that is.

After their first task together, Ramsey approaches him in the small prep room while Gavin is changing out of his work clothes. “So,” the tattooed man begins, leaning next to Gavin’s locker. “People seem to die around you a lot, don’t they, Free?”

Gavin shrugs, pulling his t-shirt on over his head and pointedly looking away. “It’s been happening most of my life. Maybe I’m cursed.”

“You’re good at staying alive, though.” Ramsey notes, crossing his arms and frowning.

“Unfortunately.” That gets a smile from the scruffy-faced man.

“I know the feeling. But hey, as long as you’re alive, may as well make some cash.” The older man pushes off the locker, waving lazily as he strolls away. “Have a nice night.”

He heads for the studio apartment he’s set up as a living space, sweeping it for bugs before calling in to Dan with his nightly report. “Ramsey likes me. This is going to be easy.” He informs his contact, settling onto the couch and yawning.

“I have more information on Jones.” Dan answers, making Gavin sit up.

“Tell me.”

“Seems he was involved in some heavy mafia activity in New Jersey while still a teen. Learned interrogation from some of the best. When the FBI busted the family he escaped into obscurity for a few years. Well, sort of. Petty crimes and a couple of times behind bars. He’s never been in the protection business, not even when he was with the family, so I’m not sure how Pattillo found him. But he’s good at getting answers, good at reading people, and good with guns. You’ll have to be on your toes until you get a decent understanding of him.” Dan reads the information without emotion and Gavin relaxes again.

“No worries there, b. I know how to lie to people.”

“You should get some sleep, tomorrow’s going to be a busy day. 5MG is setting up a contract and a confrontation for you. Make sure Ramsey sees how well you work, huh?” He can hear the smile in Dan’s voice, and it brings a smile to his own face, a surprisingly sincere look.

“No problem, Dan. You get some rest too, okay?”

“Will do, b. Talk to you tomorrow night.”

–

The contract is supposed to be simple, of course. Gavin maneuvers shifts to make sure he’s put under Ramsey’s command, keeping his senses open to the signs of when the chaos will start.

It comes with a bang, flash grenades leaving half the team stunned, blind and deaf. Gavin ducks and covers his eyes and ears just before the blasts, recovers quickly enough to take note of who else is still on their feet. Half a dozen muted gunshots later there’s only three people left alive of the team; himself, a tall, heavily scarred man named O’Donnel and Ramsey.

O’Donnel panics, begins to fire his gun blindly around the room, bullets ricocheting off of walls and ceiling. Gavin sighs, lifting his own gun, hoping he can make it look like an accident. He can’t have O’Donnel fucking this up for him, he has a schedule to keep.

Before his finger can even get inside the trigger guard, however, Ramsey is behind O’Donnel, slamming the butt of his gun into the back of his neck in one swift motion. The big man falls like a sack of lead, crumpled into a heap on the floor. Ramsey looks to Gavin, quickly nodding him towards the door at the end of the hall, the two of them making their way down the bloodied corridor and through the doorway. Gavin secures it while Ramsey sweeps the area with his assault rifle, before the two face each other.

To his surprise, Ramsey laughs. “No wonder they don’t give you Brits guns, Free. The way that guy panicked he almost got both of us killed.”

“O’Donnel’s Irish, not British.” Gavin corrects automatically, making a face. “And normal citizens don’t have guns because we’re not all maniacs like you yanks.”

“Whatever, man.” Ramsey’s face turns serious, his gaze moving over the room. “Seven more people that are dead, and you and me still alive. What a coincidence. Come on, we’ve got patrol to finish up.”

Gavin debates for half a second, before shrugging nonchalantly. “Let’s see if we can make it an even dozen, mate.”

Ramsey laughs again, hefting his assault rifle and beginning to stroll down the hall. “I like how you think, Free. Maybe I’ll hire you myself.”

It’s the exact words he wants to hear. By the end of the night, Gavin has changed the ‘maybe’ to a certainty. They end up with a baker’s dozen dead, something both seem almost too proud of given that most of the corpses are their supposed allies.

–

This time when he flies to America, it’s Ramsey in the seat next to him. Dan stays at 5MG headquarters, coordinating with him long distance. The game begins for real when he and Ramsey forge documents to get him into the States again, everything settling into place the moment the plane touches down.

Ramsey helps him find a studio apartment for cheap. He introduces him to the way things work in the US, to Pattillo who welcomes him almost too eagerly, and Jones who doesn’t look at him twice. They stop being last names, becoming Geoff, Jack, and Michael.

After two weeks with the Hunters, two weeks of hard work and carefully constructed cover stories, Michael comes to his apartment drunk and bloodied.

Things get a lot easier after that.

–

And then things get a lot harder. He finds himself thinking about Michael too much, not wanting him to be involved in the endgame. He meets Geoff’s wife and daughter. He congratulates Jack when the man proposes to his girlfriend and discovers that he’s sincerely happy for the computer specialist. He lies to them and hides from them and abandons them without word or warning to do his work with 6. He comes back and is welcomed with open arms, falling into the routine of the Hunters without a second thought.

He debates it for a long time, considers doing the unthinkable.

He betrays 5MG.

He doesn’t tell anyone, not even Dan, when he buys the phone. He records the information on it, knowing exactly what to say and how to say it. He hides it where he knows Michael will look when the curly-haired man finds out about his betrayal. He updates it occasionally when code-ins or drop points change.

Michael shouldn’t be anything but a pawn to him, but he’s not and Gavin can’t change that even if he wants to.

–

All of his actions feel like choices he’s made in life, Gavin reflects as he lies in the narrow bed, bathed in the glow from Dan’s computer. He chose to sign up for 5MG. He chose to work to bring down 6 and the Hunters. He chose to leave the warning for Michael.

At least that’s what he tells himself.

Dan finishes giving his quiet instructions, getting up from the computer and cracking his spine. He steps over to the narrow bed, climbing in and nudging Gavin to move over. The sandy-haired man wiggles around under both are squished onto the thin mattress, Dan’s arms around him, Dan’s hands on his bare skin. He rests his head against the other man’s chest, hearing his steady heartbeat and sighing softly.

“Everything’s in order, b.” Dan’s voice comes from above him, his chest vibrating slightly with the words. “Now we wait for them to do what they do best.”

Gavin’s fingers clench in his t-shirt, his eyes on the monitors on the other side of the room. “Dan?” He asks quietly, continuing when he gets a grunt of acknowledgement. “When did this start being our choice again?”

Dan hums in contemplation, his hand stroking down Gavin’s spine slowly. “When I found out that you were expendable. That’s when I decided it. You?”

He considers the question, takes so long that he nearly falls asleep thinking about it, so soothed by the presence of the other man. The answer dawns on him, though, coming up from somewhere inside his mind that he wasn’t aware of. “When they started being people and not just targets. When I knew things about them that didn’t matter to the mission and wasn’t just pretending to care.” Gavin exhales, his eyes flicking to the monitors again. “I couldn’t let it happen like the plan after that.”

They fall asleep waiting for 6 and the Hunters to call in.


End file.
